Reciprocatively operated knitting machine



Feb. 20, 1934. F w, RoBlNsoN 1,947,617

RECIPROCATIVELY OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1928 4 Sheet-Sheetl Hmk W 5 017177501],

Feb. 20, 1934. F. w. ROBINSON RECIPROCATIVELY OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Filed June- 19, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwmzntoz Hank VIZ/ 747617151717,

abtozwun Feb. 20, 1934. F, w. ROBINSON RECIPROCATIVELY OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheet-Sheet 3 Filed June 19, 1928 Frank W K055775022, wuwnto'a W 3& 1

attozmqe Feb. 20, 1934. F. w. ROBINSON RECIPROCATIVELY OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l l 1 I I l l I t M m w 5 W W 0 7 m H I J j H x a M m? m l-- -w 7j l x W Patented Feb. 20, 1934 RECIPROCATIVELY OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Frank W. Robinson, Reading, Pa., assignor to Schuylkill Hosiery Mills, Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 19, 1928. Serial No. 286,618

22 Claims.

My invention relates to circular knitting machines, and more particularly to such machines having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder adapted to. knit a fiat selvage-edged fabric for stockings or the like.

My main object is to produce an improved machine of this nature, adapted to knit a fashioned fabric of a determined differing number of wales at selected portions of its length and with a split foot portion if desired.

Further objects are to insure a more perfect and accurately knit selvage-edged fabric through the operation of a novel thread feed mechanism for the selectively actuated needles, in connection with special sinkers cooperating with determined needles.

Other objects are to provide improved needle actuating means all determinedly controlled by pattern mechanism for the full automatic operation of the machine.

With the above objects outlined, and with others that will appear as the description progresses, my invention consists of the improved mechanism more fully described in the following specification in connection with the drawings accompanying the same and forming part thereof, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Like reference characters represent like parts in the several sheets of drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a preferred embodiment of my invention applied to a usual form of circular knitting machine, only so much of the latter being indicated as necessary to fully disclose my improvements. 4

Fig. 2 is a corresponding front elevation, the needle cylinder and certain associated parts being shown mainly in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is mainly a plan view of the knitting head alone, indicating essentials of my novel thread-feed mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the knitting head on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the special sinkers employed with determined needles.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the additional means carried by the thread feed table to engage with the needle cylinder and cause determined joint reciprocation therewith.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view of the needle cylinder developed in a straight plane and indicating diagrammatically the needle movements and effective thread guide travels.

Fig. 8 indicates diagrammatically the thread travel with relation to certain needles during the making of a split foot.

Fig. 9 indicates the series of differently butted needle jacks employed in the special embodiment of the drawings.

Fig. 10 indicates diagrammatically the special stocking fabric produced by the preferred mechanism disclosed.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic showing of the means employed to insure thread engagement with each needle added to widen the fabric.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to any ordinary circular knitting machine of known construction, such as that more fully shown and described in Hemphill Patent #933,443, of Sept. 7, 1909, 5 represents the usual table top or bed plate, and 6 its supporting standard, which latter commonly carries in suitable bearings the main drive shaft '7, and pattern shaft 8 having a pattern drum 9, pattern link chain 10, and pattern cam discs 11, all cooperating and acting as heretofore in automatically controlling the various machine change operations as in the production of a knitted stocking fabric.

The needle cylinder 15 shown is preferably of an elongated form adapted to receive in its vertical slots both the needles 16 and actuating jacks 1'7 therefor. The needles shown have spring beards 18 which act in cooperation with suitable sinkers 19 carried in a sinker ring 20 as heretofore. The cylinder 15 is reciprocated as heretofore by usual reciprocative drive mechanism (not shown) from the rotated drive shaft 7, and the jacks 17 therein have projecting butts 9o operated upon in well known manner by knitting cams, which, as indicated, are carried by a fixed ring 21 supported above the table top 5. Such aforesaid general construction is old, as shown in said Hemphill Patent 933,443, and well understood and requires no further showing or description; the use of jacks to additionally operate the needles being also old as disclosed in Ames Patent #981,351 of Jan. 10, 1911.

Ordinarily the needle cylinder 15 is filled by a full complement of needles forming a closed circle and is driven in continuous rotary movement to form a seamless tubular fabric having the same number of needle loops in each course throughout its length.

In the present instance. however, for the previously stated purpose of producing a fashioned selvage-edged flat stocking fabric in which the number of loops varies in successive courses, I set the usual reciprocative drive mechanism to 110 drive the cylinder 15 in successive reciprocations throughout the knitting operation, and also employ, as shown, a cylinder of enlarged diameter which is only partially filled by a fullcomplement of needles, leaving an unfilled space or gap between the end needles providing for an overrun of said end needles by the knitting cams at each needle reciprocation prior to reversing movement of the cylinder. Such reciprocative knitting, as readily seen, will produce a fiat knit fabric, the fashioning of which is provided for by varying the number of needles effective for knitting in each reciprocation.

The particular stocking fabric indicated in said Fig. 10 is begun at the toe end portion A thereof, starting on a few central needles of the series and adding others at each side from timeto time to widen the fabric as required up to its greatest width portion at the top or welt end G thereof; the automatic means of selectively adding such additional needles, insuring a proper selvage edged stitch formation, providing for a split-foot construction if desired, with the novel thread feeding guide fingers employed, and other novel mechanism later herein disclosed, form essential features of the present improvements now about to be described in detail.

The needle actuating jacks 17, as previously stated have projecting butts, and for the purposes of the present invention, such projections are arranged in one or other of two spaced planes to form groups of upper and lower butts, as shown clearly in Fig. 9, and each group is further divided as shown by the extent of their projections into groups of long and short butts for selective cam operation on determined individual jacks or groups of jacks; the upper butts, having the general reference letter :0, being moved into and out of the path of the knitting cam by direct cam action thereon, or by cooperative cam action on their lower butts, having the general reference letter 11. As shown in Fig. 9, for the purposes of producing the present knitted fabric of Fig. 10, I employ groups of five differently butted jacks 17-17a having a long upper butt x and no lower butt, 17b a long upper butt 1: and short-lower butt 11 170 a long upper butt 0: and long lower butt y 17d a short upper butt 2: and long lower butt g and 17e a short upper butt :2 and short lower butt 11 Jacks with spaced butts operated by cams at different levels are well known and their operation understood, the present jacks above set forth being adapted for specific operation as will be described hereinafter.

The developed diagrammatic showing of Fig. 7 indicates the relative arrangement of the cams acting on the butts :t' and y of the needle jacks; the path of travel of said butts as shifted to different levels by said cams; the divisions of groups of differently butted jacks for the particular stocking of Fig. 10; and the traverse of the thread guides for different feeding operations. The different movements of the needles by their jacks will be fully described in connection with this diagrammatic showing and machine actuated'control of the cams later hereinafter fully described.

Referring to Fig. 7, the central needles of the series upon which the stocking knitting is started are provided with jacks 17a indicated by the bracketed group a. The adjacent groups b, b on either side which are added to widen the toe portion to instep width have jacks 17b. The next ad- Jacent groups 0, c which embrace four needles including the gore or suture line needles uniting the split foot sole portions of the particular stocking shown in Fig. 10, comprise, reading outwardly from the center group at the left thereof, first one jack 17c, followed by one jack 17c, and

then two jacks 1711, while those reading outwardly from said center group at the right thereof comprise, first two jacks 17c, followed by one jack 17c, and one jack 17d; the jack 170 at the left of the center group and jack 17d at the right of the lat.

ter actuating the suture needles 16', 16 as hereinafter explained. The next adjacent groups d, 11, upon which the reinforced split foot is knitted, have jacks 17e. The remaining groups e, c, also havejacks He.

The butts of the aforesaid jacks projecting from the reciprocating cylinder, are acted upon as heretofore by cams to shift the needles vertically in the making of the knitted loops and in moving them into and out of the knitting action as required. Such cams, as indicated in Fig. 7 comprise: The knitting or loop forming cams consisting of center knitting cam 25, and right and left side cams 26 and 27, cooperating with a fixed levelling cam 28. Right and left widening picks 30 and 31, to raise additional needles into knitting action, and their associated fixed levelling cams 32 and 33 and 34. Dividing cam 40, to engage long upper butts to raise their needles with loops retained thereon into non-knitting position during the making of the heel pockets and to relower them into knitting position after the formation of such heel pocket. Right and left gore or suture cams 50 and 51 to operate on the group of jacks c c in the making of a gore scam in split foot work. And cast-off cam 55 to engage all lower butts and lower their needles out of the knitting action at the completion of a stocking, leaving only the needles of group a remaining inaction, their jacks having no lower butts.

The aforesaid cams shift the 'jack butts either singly or in groups into one or another level, as indicated in Fig. 7, 60 indicating the knitting level for the upper butts :c and 60a the corresponding level for the fixedly spaced lower butts y; 61 and 61a respectively the butt levels when the jacks are in fully lowered idle position; 62 and 62a the upper and lower levels of those jack butts acted upon by dividing cam 40 to temporarily raise certain needles during formation of the heel on the needles not raised; and 63 and 63a the upper and lower levels of the jack butts as partially raised from non-knitting idle position by the widening picks 30 and 31 preliminary to their addition to the needles in knitting action.

The timing and control of the several cam actions is regulated automatically from the pattern mechanism as will be later herein described. Knitting cam 25 has imparted to it intermittent vertical movements as diagrammatically indicated by vertical slots 25a to provide required partial-course longer stitches to accommodate a heavier or an added reenforcing thread for a strengthened area, and preferably also a short circumferential reversely reciprocative movement with relation to the cylinder, as indicated by horizontal slot 25b. Such reciprocative movement being effected by contact with said cams oi the leading butts of the jack groups approaching from either direction and this cam shift providing clearance for the tilt of the side cams 26 or 27 when the butt of an added jack moves the latter, and such cam shift at the same time insure cam and sinker action on such end needles without overrun of said gap.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, it will be seen that cam 25 is mounted in a carrying block in which it has a limited vertical movement imparted to it through a projecting connected push down pin 71 acting against uplift springs 72. Pin 71 is acted upon by a lever 73, intermediately pivoted at 74 to a bracket 75 on ring 21, and its opposite end is adjustably secured to a rod 76 vertically mounted in table 5 as shown, the lower end of said rod beneath the table overhanging drive shaft 7. Slidably mounted on said shaft 7 is a cam '77 which is moved into and out of position for action. on rod 76 by means of a shift lever '78, the opposite end of the latter being actuated by a suitably shaped cam ring 79 on cam drum 9. Shaft always rotates in one direction, as understood and shown in Hemphill Patent 933,443 aforesaid, and it will be seen that cam 77 thereon, when shifted by lever 78 so as to act on rod '76, will depress cam 25, which, as before stated, is employed to regulate the stitch length drawn in portions of certain courses into which a reenforcing or added thread is fed.

As seen best in Figs. 2 and 4, block 70 is secured to ring 21 by means of bolts 80, 80 engaging in slots 81, 81 in said block foot so that the latter may have a limited reciprocative movement about the cylinder imparted to it through a connected lever 82 pivoted to bracket '75 and its upper end 83 projecting into the path of a finger or stud 84 mounted on the reciprocated cylinder 15. The finger 84 is located to act on said end 83 so as to reversely move block 70 with its cam 25 intermediately of each reciprocative swing of the cylinder 15, such lever movement being preferably provided to relieve the needle jack butts from making the movement, which movement, as heretofore set forth, performs certain functions including clearance for the tilting movements of cams 26 and 27.

Right and left side cams 26 and 27 adjacent cam 25 are similar, as shown, each being pivotally supported near its upper end, and its lower end normally resting on fixed cam or levelling plate 28 under tension of coil springs on its respective pivot pin 86 (Fig. 4), so that the jack butts raised by picks 30 and 31 to intermediate level 63 will contact with the under inclined surfaces of said cams and tilt them in passing beneath them to join with and follow the last one of the butts in knitting action and at that moment dipping beneath cam 25, the aforesaid circumferential shift of cam 25 providing clearance for said cam tilting movement. Plate 28, as shown, has a central tit 28 to initially lift the jack passing beneath one side cam so as to insure its riding upwardly on the upper surface of the other side cam.

Picker cams 30 and 31, as shown, are formed with off-set pivot bearing pins 87, 87 (Figs. 1 and 4) so as to swing in upwardly inclined arcs about said pivots, and normally lie in recesses or pockets 88, 88 (Fig. 7) formed in fixed levelling cam 32, swinging movement being imparted to them through actuating projections 89, 89 (Figs. 1 and 2) on their respective bearing pins 87, 87. Ad-

jacent the inner end of each recess 88, 88, the cam 32 is formed with high spots or lifts 90, 90 (Fig. 7) which act to guard the rear one of said picker cams at each cylinder reciprocation by raising the advancing butts to pass over said rear picker cam, fixed levelling cams 33 and 3 acting to restore such raised butts to level 61 (see Fig. 7).

Said picker cams act in the usual manner, being first raised into butt path 61 (Fig. '7) by means of the pattern mechanism and their upward swing completed by pick engagement with a determined Jack butt. Pattern swing of said picksis effected by means of a wedge or spreader sleeve 91 (Figs. 1 and 2) jointly acting on projections 89, 89, said sleeve being carried by a vertically movable rod 92 having a top bearing in ring 21, and its lower end being resiliently connected to the bent end of a rocker shaft 93 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted beneath table 5, the opposite end of said shaft having a crank arm 94 (Fig. 2) which is connected by a link 95 to a trip lever 96. Suitably shaped and located studs on pattern chain 10 act to trip said lever 96 and rock said shaft 93 to raise and lower spreader sleeve 91 for suitable action on projections 89, 89; this movement being timed to act-so as to position the picks to engage the butts of certain jacks controlling needles to be added to the knitting group.

Cam 40 is mounted on a post 100 vertically movable in ring 21 (Figs. 1 and 2) and connected to an offset post 101 mounted in table 5, an extension 102 connecting with one end of a pivoted lever 103, the opposite end of the latter engaging a suitable cam ring on disc 11 to determin- 100 edly raise and lower said connected posts and cam 40 carried thereby. Said cam 40 is positioned with relation to reciprocated cylinder 15 so as to engage all long upper butts :0 m and x of' the needle jacks, its upper face acting when in 105 lowered position, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '7, to raise said butts and their respective needles to idle level 62 as is customary in making the heel pockets D2, D2, and its under face acting when said cam is raised, full line position in Fig. '7, to restore said needles to knitting level 60 by lowering said jack butts x x and x previously raised thereby.

Cams 50 and 51 are fixed in position to act on lower long jack butts y and 11* only, moving them between levels 6002 and 63a in the formation of an improved gore junction between the sole and instep portions of the split foot, as later herein more fully described.

Cast off cam 55 is operated only at thecompletion of each stocking, being then moved radially toward the cylinder to engage and lower all lower jack butts y to depress their respective needles out of knitting action, their hooked ends tearing free from the loops engaged thereon. Its

radial movement is effected, as shown, by a suitable projection on disc 11 swinging a lever 105 (Fig. 1), which lever is connected by a rod 106 to one arm 10''! of a bell crank, the other arm 108 of which is connected by a link 109 to a swinging plate 110 carrying cam 55, the plate 110 moving cam 55 into the path of all needle butts y at the proper time.

Referring particularly to diagrammatic Fig. '7,

which shows a midway position of a cylinder reciprocation, the knitting operation with the mechanism above set forth is as follows: Beginning at the toe end of the stocking, with the needles a alone in knitting action, a number of courses are produced by successive reciprocations of the described, each picker 30, 31 acts at each cylinder reciprocation to engage the foremost jack butt :r in level 61 next adjacent the series a or an added needle in knitting action and lift said jack butt .1: to level during the same cylinder reciprocation 63, from which level it passes beneath one side cam 26 or 27, under knitting cam 25 and is lifted by the other side cam to knitting level 80, the short circumferential movement of cam 25 provided, giving ample clearance for the lifting of said side cam due to the butts engaging the inclined face of shifted cam 25. Additional needles are thus added by their respective jack movements to those in action at either side of the latter, and the deferred final lifting of such needles by said side cams as set forth is provided so that said needles will so rise with relation to the thread feed as to cause the latter at the end of a cylinder reciprocation to wrap around such raised needle and thus insure its positive entry into knitting action and formation of a perfect selvage edge.

The action of such deferred lifting of the added needles is clearly seen in diagrammatic Fig. 11, the added needle as raised by one of the side cams, 26 or 27, rising with empty hooks at the end of the series in knitting and receiving its thread only on the next cylinder reciprocation. Due to the known action of the sinkers and the interlooping of the previous thread this added needle rises outside the thread extending to the guide finger, which latter on next reciprocation of the needle cylinder will cause the thread to wrap around such added needle insuring its positive engagement in the needle beard thereof.

Needles b, b, c, c, and d, d, are thus gradually added until the width of fabric produced is sumcient for the foot portion B, this width being maintained, as shown, until the heel pockets D2, D2 are reached (Fig. 10). At this point of beginning the heel the pattern mechanism automatically lowers cam 40 as above described to temporarily raise out of knitting activity but with retained loop stitches, all the needles a, b, b, and certain of c, c, by engaging their jack long upper butts x. Separate threads are then fed to said needles d, d, which by reciprocative action of the cylinder forms two selvedged extensions D2, D2 for the heel tabs. Upon completion of said tabs, the pattern mechanism automatically raises cam 40 to reversely move the aforesaid butts :r, to relower into knitting action the needles previously raised thereby, and the leg F and welt G are then formed in continuous successive reciprocation of the needle cylinder, additional or all of needles e e being added gradually to widen the fabric as required. When the felt G is completed, the pattern mechanism automatically shifts cast-off cam 55 into action on jack butts y to lower out of action all but needles a (jacks 17a with no lower butts), which remain in action to start a succeeding stocking fabric.

The above description discloses the knitting of a plain flat stocking fabric by reciprocative operation of the aforesaid needle cylinder, but the same mechanism with certain modified operation hereinafter set forth may produce other stocking fabric. Fig. 10 shows a split-foot stocking which is usually formed with a silk central or instep portion B and cotton or reinforced outer or sole portions D', D as indicated, the two being united by gore or suture seams C, C on needle 16', 16 (Fig. 8) in Jack groups c, c (Fig. 7), In order that both the instep and sole threads will both feed accurately to common suture line needles 16, 16 and supply the latter with single loops of each to form .an improved thin butstrong suture seaming thereof, I provide, as"

shown, fixed gore cams 50 and 51 (Fig. 7) which act on the long lower butts 11 and 11 of jacks 170, 17a in groups 0, c to lower their respective needles with retained loops after the upper jack butts x 2: have passed the knitting cams and to raise them again on reverse reciprocation'of the needle cylinder for action of said knitting cams on said butts 2 2: cam 50 acting in this manner on one side of said knitting cams, and cam 51 acting on the opposite side, as clearly indicated in diagrammatic Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring to Fig. 8 particularly, at the left side, the suture needle 16' has received its instep thread and cam 51 has lowered it (acting on butt 11 of its jack 170) so that on the following cylinder reciprocation it will not receive a second loop of instep thread, but will be raised by cam 51 (act ng on butt .11 of its jack 170) for action of the knitting cams on its single loop of instep and single loop of sole threads to form an improved thin suture seam. In the same manner the right suture needle 16', is shown lowered by cam 50 (acting on butt 11 of its jack 17d) after receiving its sole thread so as to be missed in the succeeding reciprocative feed of guide 121. The same actions take place when guide 122 feeds sole thread to left suture needle 16' and guide 123 instep thread to right suture needle 16'. Fig. 8 also shows two needles 16d, 16d, at the left, and 160,160 at the right both having jacks with long lower jack butts y as lowered by cams 50 and 51, which lowering is to provide spaces for guides 121 and 123 to be snapped across-said line of needles to and from their feeding position on the outside of said circle of needles. Guide 122 moves to position in the open gap of the circle of needles. Needles 16c, 16s at either side, having jacks 17c with short lower butt jacks W, are not effected by cams 50 and 51 and remain raised to insure the proper feeding of the adjacent needles when returned to knitting level. above referred to will now be described.

The feeding of the thread to the needles, its

The thread guides automatic selective variations, and variations in The essentials of my improved feed mechanism, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and diagrammatically in Figs. 7 and 8, comprise a reciprocal finger table 120 carrying a plurality of thread guide fingers, the drawings showing five, 121, 122, 123,

124 and 125 each preferably in the form of a bell-crank intermediately pivoted to said table at 130 in spaced relation to one another and at different levels and each having a thread eye guide 131 in the end of one arm, and the other arm 132 engaging a finger-actuating cam drum 135 co-axially reciprocal with said table 120. Said table and cam drum, as shown, are mounted on a tubular shaft 136 fixedly supported in an axial bearing 137 secured interiorly to the needle cylinder (and other supports not shown), said shaft extending through the cylinder to project both above and below the same, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Frictional resistance against un ntentional rotation of said table 120 and drum 135 is provided as shown by a fixed top collar 138 on shaft 136 frictionally engageable with said drum and a friction disc 139 engaging a recess in the under face of table 120, a plate 140 pressing said disc against said plate under the action of a coil spring 141 encircling shaft 136 and seating on a colar 142 fixed to the latter, downwardly extending pins 143 from said plate engage in aperture in said collar 142 and prevent rotation of said plate 140. The tension of spring 141 is such as to exert sufficient friction through disc 139 to normally prevent any rotation of said table and drum except as determinedly effected by a temporary couping thereto of the reciprocated needle cylinder 15.

Such coupling of the needle cylinder and table 120 is provided for, as indicated, by a cylinder carried bar 145, vertically movable in a bearing 146 secured to bearing 137 within said cylinder, the lower depending'end of said bar engaging a cam track 147 formed on the flanged rim of a collar 148 fixed to shaft 136, said cam track raising and lowering the upper end of said bar 145 projecting above its bearing 146; Said bar 145 when raised and reciprocated with the needle cylinder is adapted to contact with a table carried depending stud 150 just prior to the end of each needle reciprocative travel and thus reciprocates said table and cam drum jointly a determined limited distance. Pivoted latches 151 on each side of said stud 150 are raised by the passing bar 145 and fall behind the latter to prevent momentum exerted by contact of said bar with said table stud carrying the table beyond the intended movement. The cam track 147 lowers said bar 145 below said latches 151 prior to the reverse cylinder reciprocations. It will be noted that the guides when at rest feed the passing needles, and said guides are moved in the latter part of each cylinder reciprocation to position them for feeding the needlesiwhen moving inthe reverse direction, such guide movements insuring the feeding of end needles of the incomplete circle without an excessive gap requirement.

In order to provide for a greater reciprocation of said table and drum to carry the thread guide a greater distance with the reciprocated needle cylinder when only a few needles are in knitting action as at the beginning of the stocking, or later on when several threads are to be fed to determined needle sections as in making the split foot, heel tabs and the like, it being understood that such feeding of the thread to the needles occurs only when the finger guides are at rest relative to the moving needle cylinder, I provide the table with a second spaced stop engageable by bar 145. As indicated said second stop is in the form of a vertically movable rod 155 carried by the table 120 and its lowering and raising into and out of the path of travel of bar being controlled by a ring cam 156 mounted on cam drum 135 and engaging in a notch 157 in said rod ing in the form of a weight and suitable springs are added to depressstop rod when the notch in the latter engages a low spot in ring cam 156,

' as clearly seen in Fig. 6.

The aforesaid varied reciprocations of the table 120 and cam drum 135 carry the several thread guides 121, 122, 123, 124 and 125 limited distances with the needle cylinder, their feeding actions taking place, as before set forth, only when at relative rest to said needle cylinder, and additionally only when outwardly swung across said needle ".ylinder to lay their threads on the bearded outer ride of its circle of needles.

-The feeding swing of said thread-guide fingers, as indicated, is controlled by a superimposed series of cams carried by cam drum 135, the actuating arms 132 of said guides lying in different levels and eachengaging its respective cam of the series 170, as shown. By varying the relative position of drum 135 with relation to table 120 different circumferential portions of the cams 170 engage their respective finger arms 132, and the shape of said cams determines the swing of the several fingers to and from needle feeding position.

To automatically control such relative positions of drum and table, I provide, as shown notched teeth in the upper rim of cam drum 135, for engagement of a tooth engaging blade 176 carried in the upper end of a shaft 177 vertically movable within tubular shaft 136, the lower end of said shaft 177 having a pin 178 projecting through a slot in tubular shaft 136.

A tensioned lever 180 pivoted at 181 has its free end engaged and depressed by a series of dogs 182 carried by one of the cam discs 11; said lever having intermediate engagement with said pin 178, is acted upon by said dogs 182 to lower said shaft 177 to determinedly engage its blade 176 with teeth 175, spring 185 releasing said engagement after passing of a dog. Said dogs 182 periodically lower said blade into tooth engagement, at which time the cam drum 135 is held against reciprocation with table 120 causing a change in its relative position to the latter and bringing new surfaces of cams 170 to bear on finger arms 132 to determinedly move the latter.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3 and 7, the first movement effected by cams 170 on drum 135 is to swing thread guides 121 into action to supply thread to the series of needles a and added needles 5 b, c, c, and d, d, to make the toe portion of the stocking, the effective extent of its feed movements being shown by the carrier travel bracket 121a in Fig. 7.

When the split foot portion is reached, relative turning of cam drum and table by lowering of shaft 177, brings two new guides, 122 and 123 into feeding action, guide 121 remaining to supply needles d on one side, added guide 122 supplying needles (I on the opposite side, and guide 123 supplying intermediate needles a, b, 5, their effective travel movements being indicated by brackets 121b, 122a and 123a in Fig. 7, it being noted that such travel has been increased by lowering of extra stop 155, to effect shortened determined feed movements and. it will be further noted that their travel overlaps on needles in groups 0 c to form a gore or suture line juncture C, C, and furthermore the needles 16d and 160 adjacent said suture needles are lowered as before described to permit passage through the needle circle of guide 123.

After completion of the foot, the drum and table are again relatively moved, to swing guide 123 back across the needles, though the gap formed by the lowered needles 16c, leaving guides 121 and 122 in feeding position during the making of said heel tabs, needles a, b and b being raised to idle loop holding position by cam 40, and the effective feeding travel of said guides remaining the same as indicated by brackets 121D and 122a.

After completion of the heel tabs, relative repositioning of drum and table, will retire guides 121, 122 and 123', and advance guide 124 to feeding positions, and ring cam 156 now lifting stop rod 155 and its latch 158, will permit but a limited swing of said finger table, the effective travel feed of said guide 124 being indicated by bracket 124a.

Guide 125 is supplied to furnish a garter top or the like when desired, being substituted for and travelling the same as guide 124.

A reinforced heel may be readily made by employin'g guides 121 and 122 in connection with guides 124 or an additional guide, the effective travel of guides 121 and 122 being limited to the heel tab widths, and guides 124 making a full swing.

Different threads as cotton or mercerized yarn for the toe, split sole and heel tabs, and high splice when employed, with silk for the instep and leg may beused as will be readily seen, with change for the welt and garter top as desired.

In order to insure the positive engagement of the thread with the suture needles, or other needles adjacent the ends of travel of the several thread guides, I preferably employ special sinkers to act as thread pressers to press the feeding thread against determined needles to insure the beards of the latter positively engaging the same to avoid defects or unevenness in the knit fabric.

Fig. shows in detail such a sinker 190, which is made half the thickness of the usual sinker 19, and employed in the same slot with the latter which is accordingly reduced in thickness to accommodate this added one. Said special sinker 190, as shown, has an upwardly projected portion 191 adapted to bear against the feeding thread and press it against the adjacent needle as the sinkers are advanced, in well known manner, by cams in said sinker ring.

In Fig. 7, I have diagrammatically indicated an arrangement of such special sinkers, and their action is further illustrated in Fig. 8, where they are shown employed in engaging the thread as fed to suture needles 16', 16.

My invention has largely been disclosed in connection with diagrammatic showings of the required movements, the operation of the machine acting in usual and well understood manner on the needles when shifted to different levels as described. It is believed that this diagrammatic disclosure will be readily understood by those skilled in the knitting art, and that the mechanical means shown in the other figures will be readily understood without detail showing, as the particular means are not in themselves important and may be varied if desired, so long as they function to operate as indicated in the diagrammatic showing.

From the foregoing detailed description it is believed the nature of my invention and its operation Will be readily understood. The particular details shown and described may of course be changed or varied according to requirements and other modifications may be readily devised within the spirit of my invention as specifically set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a thread-feed mechanism comprising a fingersupporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both co-axial with said cylinder and limitedly movable therewith, a plurality of threadguide fingers mounted on said table in operative relation to said cam drum, and means for varying the relative positions of said table and cam drum to selectively actuate said fingers.

2. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a thread-feed mechanism comprising a finger supporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both co-axialwith said cylinder and limitedly movable therewith, a plurality of thread-guide fingers pivotally mounted on said table in operative relation to said cam drum, and means to rotate the latter relative to said table to selectively vary the feeding action of said fingers.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operative needle cylinder, a threadfeed mechanism comprising a finger supporting table and finger-actuating cam drum both determinedly rotative co-axially with said cylinder, a plurality of thread-guide fingers movably mounted on said table in operative relation to said cam drum, and means to hold said cam drum during rotative movement of said table to effect selective variation of their relative positions and corresponding actuation of said fingers.

4. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operating needle cylinder, a threadfeed mechanism comprising a finger-supporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both rotatably mounted co-axially of said cylinder, a plurality of thread-guide fingers pivotally carried by said table, cam actuated extensions of said fingers adapted to swing the latter to and from needle-engaging position, and means to vary the relative rotations of said table and drum to effect selective actuation of said fingers.

5. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operating needle cylinder, a threadfeed mechanism comprising a finger-supporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both rotatably mounted co-axially of said cylinder, a plurality of thread-guide fingers pivotally carried by said table, cam actuated extensions of said fingers adapted to swing the latter to and from needle-engaging position, means to determinedly reciprocate said table and drum with said needle cylinder, and means to prevent such drum movement to effect a selective actuation of said fingers.

6. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operating needle cylinder, a threadfeed mechanism comprising a finger-supporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both rotatably mounted co-axially of said cylinder, a plurality of thread-guide fingers pivotally carried by said table, cam actuated extensions of said fingers adapted to swing the latter to and from needle-engaging position, needle cylinder carried means to partially reciprocate said table and drum therewith, and pattern-actuated means to temporarily lock said drum against such rotation to effect a selective actuation of said fingers.

'7. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operating needle cylinder, a threadfeed mechanism comprising a finger-supporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both rotatably mounted co-axially of said cylinder, a plurality of thread-guide fingers pivotally carried by said table, cam actuated extensions of said fingers adapted to swing the latter to and from needleengaging position, needle cylinder carried means to partially reciprocate said table and drum therewith, drum controlled means to vary such partial joint reciprocation, and pattern-actuated means to temporarily lock said drum against the aforesaid movements to effect determined subsequent joint reciprocation with said needle cylinder and to selectively vary actuation of said fingers.

8. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a threadguide mechanism comprising a fixed shaft-extending axially through said needle cylinder, a finger-supporting table and finger-actuating cam mounted on said shaft above the needle cylinder, cylinder carried means to effect partial reciprocations of said table and cam with said cylinder and shaft carried friction means to resist such reciprocations.

9. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a threadguide mechanism comprising a tubular shaft extending axially through said needle cylinder, a finger-supporting table and finger-actuating cam mounted on said shaft above the needle cylinder, cylinder carried means to effect partial reciprocations of said table and cam with said cylinder, and a vertically movable shaft in said tubular shaft adapted to determinedly engage and lock said cam against such reciprocative movement.

10. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a thread feed mechanism comprising a guide finger supporting table and finger-actuating cam rotatably mounted co-axially with said needle cylinder, a contact member on the latter engaging a co-opcrating member on said table to determinedly reciprocate said table and cam with said cylinder, a supplemental cylinder contact engaging member movably mounted in said table, a controlling cam for said supplemental member carried by said finger-actuating cam, and means for relatively positioning said table and cam to determinedly actuate said supplemental finger to vary the table reciprocations imparted by said needle cylinder.

11. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a thread feed mechanism comprising a guide finger supporting table and finger-actuating cam rotatably mounted co-axially with said needle cylinder, a contact member on the latter engaging a co-operating member on said table to determinedly reciprocate said table and cam with said cylinder, a supplemental cylinder contact engaging member movably mounted in said table, a controlling cam for said supplemental member carriedby said finger-actuating cam, a cylinder contact-member-engaging latch associated with each of said table contact members, means for relatively positioning said table and cam to determinedly actuate said supplemental finger, and meansto release said contact member preliminary to each needle reciprocation.

12. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder provided with an open circular series of needles, a knitting cam for said needles mounted for a limited recip rocal movement along said series of needles, and

-means to move said knitting cam intermediately of each cylinder reciprocation to insure completed action on the end needles of said open circular series.

13. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder provided with an open circular series of needles, a knitting cam for said needles mounted for a limited reciprocal movement along said series of needles, and a limited intermittent vertical movement during the passing reciprocations of said needles, means to move said knitting cam intermediately of each cylinder reciprocation, and means to determinedly control its vertical movement.

14. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder provided with an open circular series of needles, a thread feed mechanism, a knitting cam, right and left pivoted side cams co-operative with the latter in the interlooping of said thread, cam means for lowering out of knitting action determined end needles of said open circle, widening picks adapted to partly raise single ones of said lowered needles in o the path of said pivoted side cams to complete the movement of said singly raised needles beyond the thread feeding point of a cylinder reciprocation, and thread feeding means adapted to encircle said raised needle during a succeeding cylinder reciprocation to form a selvage loop on said needle.

15. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, knitting cams therefor, a plurality of thread guides each adaped to supply determined series of needles only in the production of a split foot stocking, a suture line needle adapted to receive the thread of two adjoining series, means to lower determined needles adjacent said suture line needle, and means to feedingly enter and retractingly withdraw a thread guide across said lowered needles.

16. In a circular-knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder provided with an open circular series of needles, a sinker ring having a cooperating series of sinkers therein, a thread guide finger adapted to supply thread to a determined portion only of said needles, special sinkers in said ring adjacent the end needles of said determined portion, and thread engaging means on said special sinkers adapted to press the guide carried thread against said end needles to insure thread engagement thereby.

-1'7. In a circular knitting machine having a 1 reciprocatively operated needle cylinder provided with an open circular series of needles, a. sinker ring having a co-operating series of sinkers there in, a plurality of thread guide fingers each adapted to supply thread to a determined portion only of said needles, special sinkers in said ring adjacent the end needles of each of said determined thread supplied portions, and thread engaging means on said special sinkers adapted to press its respective thread against said end needles to insure said thread engagement thereby.

18. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, an open circular series of needles therein, a cooperating series of butted jacks for determinedly actuating said needles, knitting cams, means for selectively positioning a central portion only of said needles, for action of said knitting cams, means for singly adding adjacent needles to said central portion for action of said knitting cams, a plurality of thread guide fingers selectively supplying thread to determined portions of said series of needles, suture line needles adapted to receive the threads of adjacent portions, means to raise said central series of needles during continued knitting on adj acent raised needles, means to lower all needles except said central section out of knitting action, and special needle coacting sinkers disposed adjacent the end needles of said determined guide fed portions of the latter.

19. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder provided with an open circular series of needles, a thread feed mechanism, knitting cam mechanism, means to jointly wiihdraw end needles from knitting action, means acting during determined cylinder reciprocations to gradually restore said needles to knitting action, and means acting during cylinder reciprocations next following those restoring said needles to supply said restored end needles with an encircling loop of thread.

20. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operating needle cylinder, a thread-feed mechanism comprising a finger-supporting table and a finger-actuating cam drum both rotatably mounted co-axially of said cylinder, a plurality of thread-guide fingers carried by said table, cam actuated extensions of said fingers adapted to swing the latter to and from needle-engaging position, needle cylinder carried means to partially reciprocate said table and drum therewith, means to vary such partial joint reciprocation, and pattern-actuated means to temporarily lock said drum against the aforesaid movements to effect determined subsequent joint reciprocation with said needle cylinder and to selectively vary actuation of said fingers.

21. In a circular knitting machine having a reciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a thread feed mechanism comprising a guide finger supporting table and finger-actuating cam rotatably mounted co-axially with said needle cylinder, a. contact member on the latter engaging a- 00- operating member on said table to determinedly reciprocate said table and cam with said cylinder, a supplemental cylinder contact engaging mem-- her to vary the determined reciprocations of said table and cam with said cylinder, and means for relatively positioning said table and cam to determinedly actuate said supplemental finger to vary the table reciprocations imparted by said needle cylinder.

22. In a circular knitting machine having areciprocatively operated needle cylinder, a threadfeed mechanism comprising a finger supporting table co-axial with said cylinder and reciprocable in a plane parallel to the latter, a thread guide finger movably mounted on said table, finger moving means coaxial with said table and normally idly reciprocated with the latter, and means to cause partial rotation of said table relative to said finger moving means whereby the latter acts to determinedly move said finger.

FRANK W. ROBINSON. 

